Schools' uniform rules may be eased

January 20, 2008|By Kathy Bushouse Staff Writer

Some Broward elementary and middle school students could soon find it easier to dress as they wish instead of wearing required uniforms, while parents of high school students may be empowered to mandate uniforms at their children's schools.

Those possibilities came as the Broward County School Board voted Tuesday to relax the district policy and allow anyone to opt out of wearing a uniform so long as the student receives a waiver within the first 10 days of school.

Beyond freeing younger students from wearing uniforms if they desire, the board also eliminated a rule that allows high school students to vote on whether to have uniforms in school - opening up the possibility that parents in those schools could vote to require standards other than the district's current dress code.

The board debated the change in policy for three hours. A few passionate parents, plus a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke on the proposal, with half in favor and half opposing.

Alan Ehrlich, an attorney representing the ACLU, said the group supports policy reform. "Schools that want to adopt uniform programs, fine," Ehrlich said. "All we are doing is trying to stand up for the fundamental rights for those families" who oppose mandatory uniforms.

But parent Laura Simon argued that a uniform policy is pointless if students can be exempted for any reason. "I'm curious as to who's protecting the rights of the hundreds of parents who want uniform schools," said Simon, who has a child at Everglades High School. "... Who here is protecting our rights?"

Board members Beverly Gallagher and Phyllis Hope cast votes against the proposal in the first of two board hearings needed to change the district's policy. The second vote is expected next month.

Should the change win approval next month, it would mark a shift from the stricter dress code the board enacted in 2005, when it required uniform policies with exemptions only for religious reasons.

Of the more than 130 schools in Broward where uniforms are in force, 21 have waivers from the school district that allow those schools to only give exceptions for religious reasons. Those 21 schools would be allowed to continue with their stricter policies until their five-year waivers expire.

Board member Robin Bartleman said she's heard tales of students being yanked from the classroom for infractions such as not wearing a belt to school. She feared what would happen to students whose parents feel strongly about freedom of expression if the policy was not relaxed.

"Are we going to suspend them?" Bartleman said.

As the debate stretched on, board member Bob Parks in apparent frustration said he's heard from no parents in his district about school uniforms.